


test my limits

by Jingle



Category: Descendants (2015), Frozen (2013)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Community: disney_kink, Cousins, Crossover, F/F, Family, Female Friendship, Gen, Magic, Next Generation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-04
Updated: 2015-10-19
Packaged: 2018-04-24 20:39:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 13,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4934479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jingle/pseuds/Jingle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>for this prompt on disney_kink:</p><p>"Elsa is the daughter of the Snow Queen, Ingrid. After the events of Descendants, she is one of the children of villains invited to Auradon, but this invitation is more... troubling than most.</p><p>Unlike many of the other children, Elsa has inherited her mother's powers. Ingrid has encouraged them, but Elsa knows exactly what they can do (how they can kill) and is still nervous about them. (So they probably aren't out of control, but I picture her not liking them.)</p><p>What happens when a teenage sorceress joins the school? Can have her interacting with canon characters or use mostly OCs, I don't mind. If you want Anna, that'd be great!"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. one.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [afterandalasia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/afterandalasia/gifts).



Elsa was feeling extremely uneasily, and not just because Adrien kept eyeing her up. The back of the limo was spacious, but Linos had insisted on sprawling out across the bench they had for their seats. Demi-Gods needed their space, apparently, so the other three were getting rather familiar with each other. Elsa both felt lucky and guilty to have Lizzie Smee sitting between herself and Adrien. It didn’t really matter on either account, though. While the plump, bespectacled Lizzie was attractively cute, with her blonde curls, Adrien – himself a near-replica of his father, Gaston, but with a bit less chin – seemed only interested in Elsa’s icy features.

But yes, that wasn’t the _only_ problem. It was much more about why she was in the limousine in the first place. Elsa, along with her three… Companions, had been invited to be the next four Island children to attend Auradon Preparatory School.

Elsa was the daughter of Ingrid, the Ice Queen, which was… Well, not ideal. Being Ingrid’s daughter came with incredibly strong powers of ice and snow; powers that could do horrible things. Ingrid didn’t like to discuss it, but Elsa was _fairly_ certain she’d had an aunt – not the one living in Auradon now, but a third sister – who had died by Ingrid’s hand. An accident, yes, but that was even more frightening: It was just _too easy_ to make a simple mistake with devastating results. While Ingrid had encouraged Elsa’s powers, and Elsa _seemed_ to have them in control… She feared them. She feared _herself_.

As for the move itself, from the Isle of the Lost to Auradon... Elsa was pretty uncertain about that, too. She’d never been like most other loud, nasty teenagers on the Island, but she hadn’t exactly been friendly, or even nice. She liked to keep to herself, really. Now, there would be all these expectations to socialize and be warm and inviting.

Ingrid had left her with one demand: Stay away from Gerda and her family. Gerda, of course, was Ingrid’s sister. That was one thing Elsa wasn’t too worried about. Gerda wouldn’t be at the school itself, and Auradon was a huge collection of many kingdoms. How hard could it be to avoid her?

When they finally arrived at Auradon Prep, a boyishly handsome young man and a purple-haired girl greeted them.

Of course Elsa remembered Mal. Mal had been the baddest girl on the Island. Even anti-social Elsa who didn’t see the point in plain cruelty had had to admire her for just being so good at what she did. And while it was weird to see Mal as a spokesperson for good, now, she was still Mal. Very dry, very sassy.

Mal had magic, too, Elsa remembered. She had never seen the other girl use her powers, but they were – as far as Elsa had ever known – the only two on the Island who had inherited their parents’ magic.

Poor Adelaide Facilier couldn’t even shuffle a deck of playing cards.

Some time later, Sleepy’s son was in the middle of showing the Island teens to their room when he collapsed in the middle of the hallway, fast asleep. It was mildly concerning to Elsa at the very beginning, but Lizzie and Adrien just laughed and kicked the half-dwarf a bit, while Linos lamented that he hadn’t died.

Elsa sighed and left them to that. She remembered Sleepy’s son saying she and Lizzie would be living in room 14, so she kept going until she found a door labeled 14…b. She didn’t remember anything about letters being mentioned, so she carefully knocked on the door. A boy with dark hair and skin and wearing a great deal of leather opened the door and smiled at her slyly. Elsa recognized him as Jay, Jafar’s son, which to her really just meant she had the wrong room.

“Oh, excuse me, I-“

“You’re probably looking for 14a. Right across the hall, there. Last room in the wing. You’re next to some girl who just transferred from an underwater city, and…” he paused, trying to remember, then let out a chuckle. “And your cousin. Good luck with that, Elsa. By the way, nice to see you actually, you know, where people are.”

Elsa didn’t have time to be surprised that Jay was being more or less polite and basically not hitting on her, because _her cousin_. Gerda’s daughter was going to be living _right next door_. And while Elsa wasn’t afraid of what her mother would do if she broke that rule – well, not too afraid – and she also didn’t think the rule really made sense… Ingrid _was_ her mother. Elsa wanted to do right by her, more or less.

“Lizzie?” she called down the hall. “I found our room.”

“Aye aye!” Lizzie exclaimed, and she left Sleepy’s poor, un-waking son alone, dragging her bag behind her. Elsa thought she heard Lizzie say something about claiming the starboard side, but she was feeling a little dazed and didn’t _truly_ notice.

Her cousin. Right next door.

 


	2. two.

Elsa hardly got any sleep that night, thinking of her cousin in the next room. The lack of sleep and the nerves over what to do about her cousin left her nearly – though not quite – screaming when someone knocked on her and Lizzie’s door. Lizzie was out getting a further tour of the campus, which Elsa had opted out of. They had, after all, given her a map at orientation.

When she opened the door, the cheeriest, nicest-looking girl Elsa had _ever_ seen was standing there with a basket of, apparently, assorted sandwiches. It was her, wasn’t it? Of course it was. Her innocent, unknowing grin… It _had_ to be her cousin.

“Hello! I’m Anna. I live next door, and, well, _apparently_ we’re cousins. My mom never really talked about me having an aunt? But hey, I’m sure it’s gonna be great! I mean, family, right? Always fun.” She gave a little nod as if she was agreeing with herself, then held out the basket. “I made you a bunch of different sandwiches. Well, they’re for your roommate too, of course, but I heard her leave this morning, and I figured my cousin should get first pick! But I’d eat the grilled cheese one soon, if you want it… They’re gross when they’re cold.”

For a moment, the influence of every single other person on the Island flared up in Elsa, and she seriously considered slamming the door in Anna’s face. But no… She couldn’t let her fear show. She had to conceal it.

“Thank you, Anna,” she said, in a lofty sort of voice. Anna’s grin faltered ever-so-slightly.

“So, uh… Did you know we’re cousins?”

“Yes,” Elsa lied.

“Oh. Well, um, enjoy the sandwiches. I’ll see you around.”

Elsa said nothing, so Anna left, but before Elsa closed her door, the one across the hall opened.

“That was pretty cold,” said a boy with black and white hair Elsa knew she had met before, but didn’t recognize at all. “And I mean, like, aloof, not _you_ cold.”

Elsa narrowed her eyes. “Were you spying on me?”

“Dude smelled food. Then I could smell it, too.”

Elsa sighed and picked up the basket, then slide it across the hall. That would have been it, but curiosity pushed her to ask, “Who’s Dude?”

“My dog,” the boy said, already unwrapped a sandwich.

It didn’t seem like the type of thing that should be allowed in a dorm room, but Elsa let it go. Perhaps her family matter was all behind her.

By lunchtime, she realized she was very wrong.

“Is this seat taken?” someone asked as Elsa prodded her lunch. For a school in a castle, the food left something to be desired. She looked up to see who wanted to sit with her, and sighed.

“Hello, Anna. I think Lizzie might be sitting there.”

“Oh.” Anna did not move. “That’s your roommate, right? Who is she? I mean, who are her parents?”

Elsa’s icy exterior broke to show true confusion. “Those are two very different questions.”

Anna nodded. “I know, but around here… That does seem to be how everyone thinks of you. I mean, not _you guys_ so much, from the Island, because, obviously… I’m just gonna stop.”

Elsa found herself smiling in spite of herself, though the smile was barely there. “That might be a good idea.”

“Is there a lot of magic on the Island?” Anna asked. At first, it seemed she was just grasping for a reason to stay there, but she looked genuinely curious. Elsa shrugged one shoulder.

“Up until the incident a few months ago, we couldn’t do magic on the island at all.”

“Oh, right. Well, because, in Auradon, people can do magic, but… They don’t. Except Mal, of course. Do you know Mal? Wait, sorry, let me just finish… The Fairy Godmother is kind of the head of magic in Auradon. And she believes that’s all in the past. She’s getting a lot of opposition from the Genie, though. You know… Aladdin’s? He thinks magic is still relevant. His daughter’s right, um… Well, you’ll know her when you see her. She’s blue. But the point is, I think magic sounds great, and I kind of think the Genie might be right.”

Elsa shook her head. “Magic’s not all that great.”


	3. three.

Elsa was feeling ill after lunch, and she was pretty sure it wasn’t from the questionable corn chowder. In the forefront of her mind, though, she blamed it on that, and wondered if Belle and Beast’s famed kitchen staff made the very food the kids were eating at the school. If so… It was a let-down. Still, better than anything she’d ever eaten on the Isle of the Lost.

The back of her mind, however, was occupied with thoughts of magic. Anna had been so interested in it; it was weird to realize how little of a role magic played in current-day Auradon. And yet, that very weird realization came as a comfort to Elsa. Being in Auradon – and away from Ingrid – meant there would be no pressure or reason to use her magic. That was certainly for the better. With what her family’s powers could do… Well, Elsa wanted nothing to do with it.

Someone was holding out an apple to her, from just beside her. She hadn’t even noticed someone walking next to her.

“Adjusting to the lunch here can be rough. This is from Queen Snow White’s orchard,” a blue-haired girl explained. Evie, the Evil Queen’s daughter.

Elsa stared at the apple, because that was a pretty frightening offer, even coming from a fellow child of the Island. Evie rolled her eyes.

“I didn’t poison it. Of course not! Queen Snow’s actually been really nice to me, because she’s, you know, Snow White. She wants to let bygones be bygones, and she told me to visit her orchard whenever I wanted.”

“You’ve all changed.” Except, possibly, the boy with the black and white hair. Charlie, was it? Regardless. The statement kind of just poured out of Elsa, and she didn’t mean it as an insult. Whether they wanted to be villainous or good meant very little to her. It was just such a _change_. It would take more to adjust to that than to the food.

Evie gave a small, not-quite-sad smile and nodded. “We have. It’s nice, you know? To be somewhere where people don’t expect you to be a criminal. It was hard _not_ to change.”

“Oh.” Elsa still hadn’t taken the apple. Evie laughed a bit, though it was forced.

“Come on, I can’t even do potions. Although it turns out I _am_ a chemistry whiz,” she added with pride. A pause, and then, “You could do all that beautiful ice magic, though, right?”

Elsa flinched. Not noticing, Evie pressed on.

“Your home was the only beautiful place on the island. All those icicles and sculptures were so pretty. I was always kind of jealous,” she admitted.

Elsa took the apple and bit into it to silence herself. _Don’t be jealous. It’s a curse. It’s hell._

On the plus side, eating the apple didn’t put her into a death-like sleep, so the day wasn’t a total loss.

Her first class after lunch was Remedial Goodness, which had apparently been heavily revamped after Mal and her friends had revealed their potential for good. Now it was more about adjusting to life in Auradon, coping with their pasts, and finding potential places they’d belong in this new world.

The Fairy Godmother, bless her, was really trying to figure out this new curriculum, and how to apply it to the four new students, but Linos in particular was making it difficult. The Demi-God of death, pale gray in skintone with small indigo flames dancing forth from his head, shared his father’s sense of humor. He had to make a snarky comment on _everything_ the Fairy Godmother said. Still, on the plus side, Linos was considerably more _chill_ than Hades, and lacked that fiery temper. It could have been worse.

Adrien simply wasn’t paying attention at all, whereas Lizzie Smee actually seemed to be _trying_ , but just looking at her face let one know that the notes she was taking didn’t make sense to her. Elsa sat quietly, taking a note here and there, but her focus was split between the class, the issue of magic, and her cousin. The thing was, Anna seemed really nice, and while Elsa had virtually no experience with that, it wasn’t entirely unappealing. So, while she knew Ingrid would be furious about it, and it could only end badly anyway, Elsa kind of wanted to at least _humor_ Anna.

Suddenly, Lizzie – sitting beside Elsa – was talking.

“Well, you see, Papa taught me all about ships and sailing, but we couldn’t sail off the Isle, so I guess I’d like to give that a try.”

“That’s not bad, Lizzie, but don’t be afraid to go beyond what your parents have done in the past,” the Fairy Godmother suggested. She then turned an expectant eye on Elsa.

“I don’t…”

“Try to pay attention, Elsa, dear,” Fairy Godmother said, her good nature sounding just slightly strained. “We’re discussing what skills we can offer Auradon.”

“Oh, well, Ingrid taught me the basics of diplomacy and leadership, and I suppose-“

“Don’t forget the freaky ice magic!” Linos called from the neighboring table.

Before Elsa could bury her head in her hands, she saw Fairy Godmother’s lips turn into a tight line.

“Magic,” she spoke carefully, “is in the past. It is not the direction Auradon is moving in.”

“Says the Bibbiddi-Boopiddi-Boo Lady,” Linos snorted.

“When we rely on nothing more than magic, we make ourselves vulnerable. Besides…” She hesitated. “It is unpredictable.”

Elsa knew that already.


	4. four.

Elsa’s second full day at Auradon Prep was _almost_ uneventful. _Almost_ , until there was a knock on her door, and Elsa was sure it had to be Anna.

But it wasn’t.

“Hello, Jay.”

“Hey. Fairy Godmother wanted me to check on you. She said you’ve seemed distracted in class.”

Elsa sighed. It had only been two classes; why was she such a focal point? But of course, she knew why. She had magic, and Fairy Godmother didn’t like that. What Fairy Godmother didn’t seem to realize was that _Elsa_ didn’t like that, either.

“I’m fine,” she said finally. Jay shrugged.

“I figured, but, you know, she’s Headmistress and all. Hey, I have a friend who really wants to meet you.”

Elsa smirked, just a bit. That was the Jay she was used to, the Jay who did seemingly nice things to further his own cause. “Who’s this friend?”

“Why don’t I show you?”

Elsa wasn’t sure about this. She still wasn’t used to just being around so many people, much less interacting with more of them. Then again, it might provide a nice distraction from all this magic stuff, and the issue of Anna that kept buzzing through her mind. “Okay. Sure.”

Jay led her down their entire hall, and down to the ground floor of the dormitory building. There were a few doors there, beneath the grand staircase, and Jay knocked on the door labelled 3a.

“One sec! Who is it?”

“Your savior!” Jay called through the door. Even with the teasing tone, it was bizarre, but Jay offered no explanation as Elsa stared at him. “Come on, I brought you-know-who!”

“Alright, _keep_ your shirt on while I _get_ my shirt on!”

A moment later, the door opened to reveal a blue girl with pointed ears. Her long, black hair was tied up in a ponytail, and had a red streak going through it that matched the t-shirt she was tucking into her shorts over her pudgy stomach.

Elsa remembered what Anna had told her about the Genie’s daughter. She’d never seen a Djinn in person before, and it was sort of strange. Aside from being blue, she looked so… Ordinary. Yet, at the same time, she had a sort of beautiful charm to her. She just seemed… _Nice_ , even without saying much.

“Elsa,” Jay began, “this is Khalida. Khalida, this is Elsa.”

“Hello,” Elsa said, offering a hand that Khalida shook with great enthusiasm.

“My name is really just Genie,” Khalida explained. “That’s _every_ Genie’s name. But it confuses people who aren’t Genies, so. Khalida” She shrugged. “Anyway, come in! Lonnie’s not here right now, so make yourselves at home.”

Jay entered the room, then motioned for a hesitant Elsa to do the same. Something had just clicked. Khalida, according to Anna, wanted to bring magic back to Auradon. Or at least, her dad did. And Khalida had apparently sought her out through Jay. Was this about her magic? Still, she’d come this far, so she entered the dorm.

“Alright, I’m just gonna skip the chit-chat,” Khalida saidd. She gestured for Elsa and Jay to sit on one of the beds. “Not that I’m against chatting, but Dad always says I’m so single-minded when I have a plan. And I _have_ a plan.”

Elsa felt sick at the idea that her suspicions were right – that this was somehow about magic. She tried to put this plan off with a question she wanted to ask, regardless. “Why did Jay say he was your savior?”

Khalida and Jay both laughed. “It’s a joke,” Khalida explained. “I mean, it’s _true_ , but we don’t take it very seriously.”

Elsa looked between the two. “Um, what?”

“Storytime?” Jay asked, looking amused over at Khalida. Khalida nodded.

“You know I can’t resist. Alright, Elsa, sit back and imagine this. It’s about… A month ago, and I’m still in my lamp.”

“Wait, why were you in a lamp?”

“All Genies have to go in one eventually, even those born naturally. I stayed with my Dad until I was twelve, and then it was four years of mind-numbing boredom.”

“I’m so sorry,” Elsa said, and she meant it.

“It’s all part of the job. So, I’m in my lamp – in the Dwarf Mines, by the way - and then…” Khalida spun her finger around the room, and it seemed to start jostling about. “Then I hear someone shouting! And for me to hear her, I know she’s being loud.” Another zap of magic, and a voice Elsa thought she recognized bounced and echoed around the room.

“Jay! Put it down! You’re not your dad!”

It was Mal’s voice, Elsa realized.

“Thing is,” Jay called over Mal’s voice, “my dad is, you know, _Jafar_ , and he just has to rub every lamp he sees! I kind of inherited that! But it worked ou- Okay, Khalida, I can’t hear myself!”

“Right, sorry!” Mal’s voice faded away, and the room stopped moving. “Anyway, like Jay was saying it worked out. Because when he realized he had an actual Genie’s lamp, he wished me free.”

Elsa looked surprised before she could stop herself, but Jay just laughed. “Hey, I figured there was no better way to prove I’m not another Jafar.”

Elsa smiled to herself. That, really, was what she wanted: To prove she wasn’t another Ingrid. However, this wasn’t something she cared if she proved to others; it was to herself that it mattered.

“But, anyway… Where was I?” The smile disappeared from Elsa’s face as Khalida spoke. “Oh, yeah, my plan. See… Elsa, you have magic, don’t you? That’s what I’ve heard from the Island kids. Well, I want to try and really _show_ Fairy Godmother that magic isn’t obsolete or undependable. Mal’s already on board, so if you wa-“

“ _No_ ,” Elsa spoke firmly. She didn’t know when her hands had formed fists, but she knew she could feel the ice beneath her skin, flowing through her, and how easy it would be to bring that cold out.

“Great, then – What?”

“No. I don’t think Fairy Godmother is wrong. Magic isn’t a good thing. Just look at what happened when _his_ dad got _your_ dad under his control.”

Khalida frowned. “I guess, yeah, but…”

“Thank you for offering me involvement, but my answer is no,” Elsa said, and she stood and left.

Khalida sighed and sat down next to Jay, where Elsa had just been. She leaned her head on her friend’s shoulder. “I jumped in too fast, huh?”

“I don’t know, Khalida. I think it might be more than that.”

Khalida sat up and rubbed her temples. “I should still go apologize.”

“Can’t hurt,” Jay said.

But when Khalida went up the stairs to dorm 14a, she found two other people already standing at Elsa’s door. One was Anna, and the other was Lizzie Smee – who Khalida didn’t really know yet.

“Selfish witch won’t let me into my own room!” Lizzie complained to Khalida, once she walked over. Anna looked over at the Genie, as well.

“She’s my cousin. When I heard her door slam, I got worried.”

“I think it’s my fault,” Khalida confessed. “Could I get a second here?”

Anna looked uncharacteristically stern, but nodded and went to her room. Lizzie pouted and wandered down the hall.

Khalida summoned up a paper and pen, and wrote:

_Elsa –_

_I’m sorry I sprung that on you. Maybe we can think about that idea another time. Or not at all, if you want. I’d still like to hang out sometime. We can invite Jay to keep me in check about magic, if that will make you feel better._

-          _Khalida_

She slipped the note under the door, and headed back to her room. Shortly after Khalida left, Anna came back out. She sat down with her back against Elsa’s door, and sighed.

“Elsa? I just… I thought it would be nice if we could be family. I don’t have a lot of it. But if you don’t want that, maybe we can be friends? Elsa?”

There was no reply. On the other side of the door, Elsa – a note in one hand and the other on the doorknob – felt like the world was pulling her in five different directions, none of which she wanted to go in.


	5. four and a half.

Sitting at her desk, Elsa wrote the word

** MAGIC **

in a notebook. Under that, side by side, were the words

**PROS** & **CONS**

but she quickly crossed out the first word. What pros could possibly outweigh the risk of killing the people close to her?

If she would let anyone get close to her.

"That's not the point," Elsa answered herself out loud.

It wasn't that Elsa didn't want friends, she just didn't have a lot of practice with them, and honestly, her experience on the Island with her peers had been frustrating, at best. So yeah, maybe she didn't see it as such a big deal, but that didn't mean she wanted to be alone _all_ the time.

She tried to remember if she'd felt this way about a week ago, when she'd first arrived in Auradon. This place clearly changed people. Just look at Mal, and Jay; Evie and...

... _Chris_?

It didn't matter; so far, the only people who wanted to be her friend in Auradon wanted to tap into her magic, or were people Ingrid had told her to avoid. And it wasn't just because of Ingrid that Elsa wanted to keep avoiding Anna. The things she'd always feared her powers doing seemed more possible with actual family, given Ingrid's own history.

Wait, maybe it was Clay. That was a name, right?

Elsa shook her head. It still didn't matter. What _did_ matter was starting to socialize with people who weren't interested in magic (or related to her), because if nothing else, it would keep her busy as an excuse not to be around Khalida or Anna, or even Jay, who was apparently a link between herself and Khalida, now.

Elsa paused, and realized a good way to start this socialization would be with her roommate. Specifically, she should probably let Lizzie back in.

 

 


	6. five.

When Elsa left her room to find Lizzie, she was met with the bizarre and alarming sight of C-what’s-his-name trying to lift Anna off the floor. She was asleep, and he was not succeeding at picking her up. This was especially true when he promptly dropped her the half-inch he’d lifted her so he could hold his hands in the air, indicating innocence.

A child of the Island openly admitting innocence. How things had changed.

“I wasn’t doing anything weird,” the boy blurted out. “I just figured I should get her back to her room, I mean, I don’t think we’re supposed to sleep anywhere else.”

Elsa sighed and walked around to put her arms under Anna’s. She nodded for the boy to get her feet. “Just be careful, okay?”

“She’s your cousin, right?”

Elsa sighed again. “Yeah. It’s complicated, though.”

“I figured. She was sleeping outside of your room.”

Together, the two gently lifted Anna and headed to her room. The boy, walking backwards, knocked on the door with his heel. They didn’t have to wait at all before a girl with dark skin and white hair opened the door.

“Is she okay?” Anna’s roommate asked.

“She just fell asleep,” Elsa assured her, but it was hard not to stare at the hair that matched hers so well. The girl looked at the boy quizzically, and he shrugged.

“She was waiting for Elsa, or something.”

“This is Elsa?”

“Yeah. Oh, Elsa, this is Maht. From Atlantis.”

_Oh_. That explained the white hair.

“You’re the cousin who keeps avoiding her,” Maht said slowly, giving Elsa a suspicious look.

“It’s very complicated,” Elsa said, attempting diplomacy. Maht looked unimpressed, but took Anna from the two of them.

“Thank you, Carlos,” she said pointedly.

Elsa couldn’t help slumping a bit. At least she finally knew that boy’s name.

The next day, Elsa broke a level of her silence. She was only sixteen, and some things were just too much to handle. During lunch hour, she sought out Mal, and asked to speak with her alone.

Elsa explained her situation as carefully as she could manage: that she felt uncomfortable breaking Fairy Godmother’s rules on magic (but she failed to mention her own fear of her power) and that she was struggling between antisocial habits and feeling just a _little_ lonely.

Mal took a bite of chicken pot pie, then gestured to Elsa with her fork.

“Well, first, I’d give the magic a try. What? Sigh some more, Elsa. Listen to me: We couldn’t do magic for so long on the Isle of the Lost. Sure, Fairy Godmother’s hearts in the right place, _I guess,_ but you deserve to have some taste of it. Besides, her supposedly new-fashioned ideas basically drove her own daughter to minor levels of actual evil. So what does that say about it? You know, has Jay introduced you to Khalida? She explains this stuff way better than I do.”

“I’ve met her,” Elsa said, softly.

“Didn’t go well? Well, I can’t say I’m surprised. You were always weirdly private, Elsa. Don’t take it the wrong way, I’m just saying with Khalida being so out there and you _not_ being like that at all… Which is why you’re feeling lonely. I mean, you said it yourself, you’re antisocial. I know what it’s like not to _really_ let anyone in…” Here, Mal paused, looking up as she searched for the right words. “…But it blows. I wouldn’t have believed it a while back, but it really just bites. Having people who you can have actual relationships is _actually_ better.”

Elsa made a frustrated little sound. She didn’t know what kind of advice she’d been expecting, but really, she shouldn’t be surprised. She felt like part of her frustration was that Mal was right – maybe she shouldn’t be using magic, or socializing with Anna, but Mal didn’t know the full story there. The point remained that making a friend or two probably wouldn’t hurt.

“I guess… I could try talking to more people. It’s just so different from what I’m used to.”

Mal smiled at her, a bit of a sad smile. “We’re not on the Island anymore.”

Freedom was terrifying, but Elsa wasn’t sure _why,_ exactly. Still, she nodded.

“Do you want to come sit with me and the others?” Mal offered. Elsa started to shake her head, then paused and nodded, instead.

“If it won’t be a problem.”

The others, as Elsa was introduced to them – reintroduced to some – consisted of Mal and Ben, Evie, Carlos, and Jay, Khalida, Doug – Dopey’s son, and Evie’s boyfriend – and Jane – Fairy Godmother’s daughter. It was a large group, and Elsa was glad the tables were large as she sat beside Jane.

“Elsa,” Doug leaned over to ask, “are you in Mr. Creet’s Geometry class next period?”

Elsa paused, surprised. “Yes.”

“Yeah, I recognized your hair. I sit in the back of that class.”

They discussed the previous night’s homework – along with Carlos and Khalida, who had the same class at a different time - and ended up walking to class together.

“Did you like eating with us? You could do it every day.”

Elsa shrugged. “It was nice. I guess I’m just a little shy. But I’ll probably eat with you guys again tomorrow.”

“Great!”

Elsa was actually **feeling** pretty… Not _great_ , but _good_.

  
But the Anna issue couldn't be put on hold for long. The next day brought a curve ball.


	7. six.

Elsa would, in later days, account the fact that she simply opened the door to the fact that the knocking had woken her. Groggily, she rubbed one eye and stared for a second before realizing she was looking at Anna, and almost slamming the door shut. That was a little extreme – not to mention rude – even for this circumstance, though. Besides, there was something different in her cousin’s demeanor that day. Shoulders squared, face serious, she had an air of determination about her.

_Damn_. This was going to end badly.

“Look, Elsa, I know it’s not cool to force someone to hang out with you, but you haven’t given me a chance, and we’re _family_!”

Elsa flinched at the word. “Anna –“

But Anna interrupted, which was probably for the best. Elsa had no idea what to _say_. “I thought maybe you just wanted to be alone, but then you ate lunch with Mal and her friends yesterday, and I mean, of course that’s fine, I’m really happy you’re making friends, I just don’t understand! Did I do something wrong?”

“No,” Elsa admitted. “Anna, why are you so –“

“I don’t have a lot of family,” Anna said, and Elsa recalled her saying something similar on a past day. “I had two aunts; one died before I was born and the other is on the Isle of the Lost, and I’m not even sure _why_!”

“You have Gerda. And your father,” Elsa offered. Anna looked hurt and confused.

“My parents died two years ago,” she said softly. “They were taking a trip at sea, and there was a storm. Your mother never told you?”

Elsa felt cold, and not from her magic. “No. Ingrid doesn’t even know. I… Anna, I’m so sorry.”

Anna took a deep breath, and nodded. “It’s okay. I mean, it’s not, but, you know. I just… When I found out you were here, I thought maybe… I don’t know.”

Elsa realized she hated seeing Anna this sad. It wasn’t right; wasn’t _Anna_. And somehow, knowing that Gerda was gone changed things. There was no logic behind it. Stay away from Gerda _and her family_ , Ingrid had said. The only explanation was that Elsa had managed to grow up on the Isle of the Lost without losing all decency. Anna really _needed_ her. And yes, Elsa was still scared of her magic and what she might do, but surprisingly, that wasn’t on her mind just then.

That’s when the lump of blankets on Lizzie’s bed moved, and the girl roused from her sleep, looking cranky. “Can’t you two do this some other place?”

Elsa smiled apologetically, and turned to ask Anna if she wanted to go get breakfast.

Anna managed a smile. “Okay. I’ll show you something.”

About half an hour later, they were thanking a man called Chef Bouche, and leaving a hidden little kitchen with decedent pastries and delicious egg dishes.

“He’s the cook for Queen Belle and King Beast’s home castle,” Anna explained, “but on Thursdays he comes to cook for the staff. Since, you know, the food here... Yeah.”

“And he gives you food, too?”

“Well, I…” Anna wiped crumbs from the corner of her mouth. “…I live here all year. So the staff has kind of taken me in.” Elsa didn’t know what to say, so she just nodded. Anna smiled reassuringly. “It’s okay. They’re all really nice. Fairy Godmother’s the only really famous person on the staff, although there is a mouse who teaches Chemistry for the third years…”

“Basil,” Elsa said. She remembered Rattigan’s rants about the mouse, back on the Island. She was starting to feel uneasy, though, as he sympathy for Anna gave way to her own fears. Anna, to Elsa’s slight surprise, seemed to pick up on this.

“You never told me why you’ve been avoiding me.”

“It’s not important.”

“Well,” Anna began awkwardly, “it is if you’re going to start again.”

That was the thing. She didn’t _want_ to start ignoring Anna again. She was pleasant to be around, and more so, she deserved better than a distant cousin for her only family.

And that’s when the idea came.

That afternoon, she stopped by Anna’s lunch table to tell her she’d eat with her the next day, then visited her new table with Mal and company to pull Khalida and Mal aside.

“I’m in,” she said simply. Mal looked confused. Khalida grinned.

“Really?”

“Honestly, I don’t think we can change Fairy Godmother’s mind, but I need to really figure out my magic. I know you two can help me with that.”

“Oh, that,” Mal said. “Interesting motives. Maybe there’s more Isle of the Lost in you than I ever thought.”

Elsa ignored this. “Ingrid taught me how to use and control my powers, but I’ve never… Made peace with them.”

“What do you mean?” Khalida asked. She had never felt at odds with her magic, and didn’t understand. Mal, however, nodded.

“I could use magic once I got to Auradon, and it worked and everything. I didn’t have a problem with it, but it never felt like part of me until I stood up to my mother.”

Elsa nodded slowly. A part of her was exactly what her magic _wasn’t_. It felt almost like a separate entity, or at best, a part of herself she was disconnected with. But could she embrace a magic that could kill and destroy?

“I think,” Mal said, “we need to start with some practice.” Khalida grinned. Elsa tried to smile, herself.

She was in too deep to turn back now.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shameless plug and all that, but I made a playlist for Khalida on 8tracks, if any readers would like to check it out: http://8tracks.com/lefousbrew/m-a-g-i-c-a-l-and-proud


	8. seven.

After the day’s classes, Elsa met with Mal and Khalida in the Djinn’s room.

“Is Lonnie _ever_ in her room?” Mal wondered aloud. Khalida shrugged.

“She’s on two martial arts teams and the dance team. She keeps pretty busy.”

Elsa didn’t really hear any of that. Her heart was pounding in her ears; why had she agreed to _use her magic_? She caught a look at herself in a mirror and saw she was doing a bad job of concealing her fright. She nearly jumped a mile when Khalida reached for her hand.

“You want to talk about it?”

“About what?” She let Khalida’s hand fold around hers, which stayed limp and unresponsive.

“Whatever you’re not telling us about your magic. You don’t have to, but you _can_. You know, if you want to.”

“It might help,” Mal pointed out. “You’re obviously keeping a secret, Elsa. Maybe that’s the whole reason you’re not connecting to your magic.”

Elsa just stared at her feet. “I… I can’t.”

“We’ll listen if you change your mind,” Khalida assured her, letting go of her hand.

Mal shrugged one shoulder before turning to Khalida. “Practicing magic aside – and we’ll do that – what was your actual plan? You keep talking about _showing_ the Fairy Godmother that magic shouldn’t be left behind, but how? I mean, I’m guessing we’re not going to bring another villain to Auradon so we can defeat them with magic to prove a point. That didn’t really work last time.” A pause. “And I guess it’s pretty messed up, morally speaking.”

Khalida shook her head. “Nothing like that. But there _are_ other problems in Auradon, even if no one wants to admit it. If we fix those problems magically, how can she pretend it doesn’t help?”

“Not bad,” Mal allowed.

“What kind of problems?” Elsa asked.

“Well, for one thing… You know how Jay found my lamp in the Dwarf Mines? He was helping inspect them, but there was a cave-in. That’s actually when he found my lamp! See, technically, my freedom was his _second_ wish, after getting out of there. That first wish seems to be a thing in my family, although it was an official wish this time.” She shrugged. “I don’t know if that means I’m smarter than my dad, or Jay’s dumber than Aladdin.”

“Focusing, Khalida,” Mal said. She had pulled out a sketchbook and begun to doodle.

“Oh yeah. Well, okay, so we can fix the Dwarf Mines, because that’s going _nowhere_ fast. Then there’s –“

“Wait,” Elsa said. She felt rude, making comments when she had earlier said she didn’t even believe in the plan, but this just didn’t make sense to her. “If defeating _Maleficent_ with magic didn’t convince Fairy Godmother, I don’t think any other kind of good deed will. I think it shouldn’t be about what magic can do. I think it should be about what magic _means_.” Mal looked up, and Khalida’s eyes brightened. Elsa continued. “I mean, it may not be _my_ favorite thing about myself, but it’s part of who you two _are_. If Fairy Godmother could see the beauty of that, maybe… I don’t know, maybe she’d rethink things.”

Khalida began to nod. “Yes, that’s… That’s _perfect_. Because she doesn’t _care_ what magic can do, really, does she, now? And she doesn’t care about the past. But seeing how much magic still means to people _now_ … Elsa, you’re a genius!”

“I’d consider it a form of diplomacy,” Elsa said, feeling a bit shy. “It’s just about understanding how to get what you want while letting the other person think they’re getting what they want.”

“But wait. I like the idea, but what are we going to do? Like, write an essay? Because that’s pretty lame,” Mal said. “I’m not sure I can get on board.”

“No, no… It’s much simpler than that,” Khalida said. “I’d say the best way for us to show that we _are_ magical, through and through, is to start using our magic as much as possible.”

“Naughty. I can get behind _that_.” Mal was grinning. Then she and Khalida turned to Elsa, wearing expressions of expectation and hope, respectively. Those looks were killing her. Mal’s reminded her of Ingrid, expecting Elsa to be like her and use her magic to further her own ambitions. Khalida’s look just made it clear that this cause, so dear to the Djinn’s heart, needed Elsa’s participation to work.

And that’s when she broke down.

“Ingrid – my mother – killed her sister with her magic. It was an accident, and I’ve always been afraid of what my powers can do. If _Ingrid_ couldn’t keep them in check, how could I?”

“Ingrid isn’t like you, Elsa,” Mal said. “I mean, yeah, that’s scary. But Ingrid is a villain, and that means she was _willing_ to hurt people.”

“But she wasn’t born like that. You _know_ that. What if after she killed her sister, there was just no reason to hold back anymore?”

“So, if you hurt someone, you’d just go crazy? I’m not buying it. Yeah, no one’s born good or bad, but that just proves my point. _You_ get to decide. So decide to be better than Ingrid.”

That did make sense to Elsa, but it also missed the major problem. “I don’t want to hurt the first person, Mal. I just can’t risk it.”

Khalida, who had been oddly quiet during the exchange, drummed her fingers against her chin. “I’m really sorry about what happened to your aunt, Elsa. I understand why you don’t want to use magic. You… You shouldn’t. Not if it’s going to be this hard on you.”

Elsa smiled softly. “Thank you, Khalida.”

She took her leave, then, feeling all torn up inside. She was doing the right thing, wasn’t she? A little school rebellion wasn’t worth risking lives, of course. She wished, though, that she could have been more of a help. That she could have been _part of_ something here on Auradon. That she could have met Mal’s expectations and held up Khalida’s hopes.

…She wished she’d held Khalida’s hand in return.


	9. seven and a half.

Parents’ Day came far too early in the school year, Elsa thought. But perhaps that was to help students adjust to being away from home at boarding school before the homesickness even set in too badly.

Parents’ Day was _officially_ that Sunday, but since the villainous parents were not allowed to come visit, each child of the Island got an opportunity to contact home that Friday. Fairy Godmother had learned from the first experience, with Mal, Carlos, Jay, and Evie, and now each student was given a separate computer to contact their parents with, _if they so chose_.

Adrien did not want to speak to Gaston; Elsa wasn’t surprised. It was no secret that Adrien, as the eldest of Gaston’s boys, was under the most pressure to uphold the family ‘legacy’. While Adrien didn’t mind this in and of itself, he considered his father to be a nag on this subject – besides, why talk to his _father_ when three pretty first years were just outside, exploring the campus?

Elsa almost took the same path – not the first year girls, but not talking to Ingrid. But she was feeling rather brave after opening up to Mal and Khalida the other day, even if it hadn’t gone so well. Now, she wanted to ask her mother about the family history she’d deduced but never confirmed.

She really, really hoped she was wrong about what her mother had done. It could change _everything_.

Lizzie was talking to Mr. Smee, while Linos updated Hades on Auradon life with snide comments and snarky one-liners. Elsa hit the button to initiate conversation with Ingrid.

“Elsa,” Ingrid said, a sickening smile spreading across her face. “Have you missed me?”

“Yes, Mother,” Elsa said. The only time she called Ingrid anything but her name was to her face. “I’m doing well.”

“Of course. _My_ daughter can handle anything.”

“There’s something I wanted to ask you, Mother. I just… I’m worried you’ll get mad.”

“Oh?”

“What happened to my aunt?”

Ingrid sneered. “Your Aunt Gerda lives in Auradon, but she is of no importance to us.”

Elsa closed her eyes and whispered, “My _other_ aunt.” When she opened her eyes, Ingrid was so un-moving that Elsa wondered if the computer had frozen. “Mom?”

“You’ve been talking to Gerda? Did _she_ tell you about Helga?” Ingrid hissed.

“No, mother, I haven’t! I’ve known something happened for a long time. I found pictures, and – “

“Elsa, some things are to be _left alone_.”

Elsa hadn’t been expecting much more, just hoping for it. Still, there was something else she felt her mother ought to know; not to hurt her, but perhaps because it could bring her peace, in some sad way. “I’ve been told Gerda is dead.”

Ingrid took on an expression Elsa couldn’t read, and quickly bid her goodbye before ending the video call. Back on the Island, she cried. Before, some insane and foolish part of her had dreamed of somehow, in some way, rebuilding a family. She had lost Helga, yes, but then gained Elsa. Now, though, with Gerda gone… There was no hope.

Elsa, however, was unaware of all her mother’s confused turmoil. She only knew that she needed to learn more about this Aunt Helga. And for _that_ , she’d need to talk to Anna.


	10. eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm just going to say now that the more we get into Once Upon a Time territory, the more AU (for that show) we'll get. My grasp on that season is a little shaky at best.

By Sunday, Elsa had filled Anna in on everything about their family that she knew. It had been a painful experience, really, because while Anna had discovered that one of her aunts was on the Isle of the Lost, and thus a villain, she had still had this idea in her mind that wasn’t all _that bad_. But to know that one of her aunts had killed the other… That had been a hard blow. Anna had kind of curled up in on herself, and Elsa wanted to give her a hug, but just then, even that was too scary; too close.

That had been Friday, incidentally, after Elsa talked to Ingrid. On Saturday, Anna seemed to be in better spirits.

“We have to go to Arendelle. We’ll go tomorrow; it’s Parents’ Day, nobody will know we’re gone.”

Elsa stared. “ _Why_ do we have to go to Arendelle?”

“I want to learn about our family. I mean, we don’t _know_ you’re right – no offense! – and maybe we’ll find out there’s a different side to the story, or something like that!”

That seemed _awfully_ optimistic to Elsa, but it _would_ be nice to have her suspicions either completely confirmed or broken. “How will we get there and back fast enough, though? I’m not sure this will work, Anna.”

“No, no, I know exactly who can help us out!” Anna exclaimed.

Elsa had been eating her lunches with Anna and her friends, so she hadn’t seen Khalida since the magic rebellion fell flat. That didn’t _have_ to be awkward, she reasoned. Khalida had been understanding. In fact, she’d talked to Mal since then, and _she’d_ been understanding, too. So there shouldn’t have been any ill-will.

Oh, maybe it was just awkward because she remembered how nice it had felt when Khalida held her hand.

At any rate, when Anna and Elsa found Khalida on her way to Geometry, the Djinn seemed as friendly as always.

“Hey, guys, how’s it going?”

“Will your dad be here on Sunday?” Anna asked quickly.

“Ooh, no. Dad has a hard time containing the magic, and that leads to all these arguments with Fairy Godmother… It’s not pretty.” A beat. “It _is_ kind of petty, though. One letter off.”

“Do you wanna take us to Arendelle?” Anna sing-songed, leaning in towards Khalida.

Khalida smirked. “What are you two up to?”

“We’re looking for some family history,” Elsa explained. “It would really mean a lot if you could help us out.”

Khalida chucked her under the chin. “You don’t have to be so _diplomatic_. Like I’m gonna say no to you.”

Elsa wasn’t sure what that meant, and decided not think about it, because she was sure she’d draw the wrong conclusion. “Well, thank you.”

“No problem, Elsa; Anna. Come down to my room tomorrow once the activities have started up.”

“Thank you so much!” Anna bubbled, and Elsa smiled, hoping against hope that she’d find something _good_ on this trip.

The next day, Elsa was impressed with how easily Khalida was able to pop them out of Auradon Prep and into Arendelle Castle, which was now mostly abandoned, save for a few servants keeping the place clean for Anna’s eventual rule. The three girls began their search, looking through anything that seemed like it could have useful information – books and journals, royal documents, family portraits and records. They hadn’t gotten far, however, when a servant spotted Anna flipping through a thick book. As he approached, Anna squeaked and motioned for Khalida and Elsa to hide. The two girls hopped into a wardrobe, which was a rather tight fit.

“Princess Anna, shouldn’t you be at school?” they could hear the servant ask.

“Oh! Well, um… I guess! But, uhhh, today’s Parents’ Days, so Fairy Godmother said I could come back here, since… Well, you guys are kind of my parents now, right?”

Elsa squeezed her eyes shut, expecting the servant to grow suspicious. But instead, he said, “Very well, let us know what you need.”

Now able to relax, Elsa became suddenly aware of how close her body was to Khalida’s. She tried to _stay_ relaxed as she fumbled with the wardrobe door until it kind of fell open, and she could step out.

“You okay, Elsa?” Khalida asked.

“Of course. Thank you.”

Elsa quickly buried her nose in a book, and Anna looked over her cousin’s ducked head at Khalida.

‘She likes you!’ Anna mouthed. Khalida blushed and quickly shook her head. Anna looked mischievously between the two, but before she could get up to something, Elsa groaned and slammed her book shut.

“Nothing in here has what we need!”

“We haven’t gotten that far, Elsa, it’s okay,” Anna said softly.

“I know, I know. This is just so frustrating. I want to find something that will tell me I’m wrong, but deep down, I just don’t see that happening.”

Khalida put a hand on Elsa’s shoulder, and Elsa instantly covered it with her own. “You never know, huh? Things aren’t always what they seem.” Elsa nodded, and the girls continued their search.

Eventually, they made it all the way up into an attic, where things got more interesting. First were the family portraits, portraying three happy young girls, often entangled in hugs with each other.

“That’s Mama,” Anna said.

“And Ingrid,” Elsa added. “That must be Helga.”

They found three friendship bracelets, with each sister’s name painted on it. Anna’s eyes widened. “They were _friends_ , Elsa.”

“But…”

“Hey, I think this might be useful,” Khalida spoke up. “ _Princess_ Gerda’s diary.”

Anna took the journal from Khalida and dove into it, pages flying. She read passages aloud here and there, and it all indicated that the sisters were _incredibly close_.

And then she got to a particular entry.

_I have never been so terrified. Today, I found Helga’s body, frozen to death, at Ingrid’s feet. Yes, my sister died at my other sister’s hand. I fear Ingrid’s powers are making her a monster; are twisting out of her control. I do not know how to stay safe. I do not know how to protect what remains my family._

Elsa sighed as Anna finished reading. Well, she’d been right. Her mother was a murderer, and if Gerda’s fears were right, Elsa had every potential to become one, too.

“I don’t believe it,” Anna said.

“Anna – “ Elsa began in a practical tone, but Khalida cut in.

“I don’t either. They were best friends. A sudden change of heart like that… I just can’t see it.”

“Look, it’s getting late,” Elsa sighed. “We should go back.”

“Are you two okay?” Khalida asked. Anna nodded, as did Elsa… Only Anna truly was okay. Anna truly believed there was more to this story.

Elsa, well, she had never been so terrified.


	11. nine.

Back at Auradon Prep, Elsa was quick to retire to her room. Khalida, feeling guilty just for having found the journal, was about to do the same when Anna grabbed her wrist.

“We need to talk to your dad.”

“My dad? Why?”

“Because his magic might be able to take us to the Isle of the Lost. To Ingrid.”

As a grin spread across Khalida’s face, the carpet beneath the girls’ feet changed to sandy dessert. Transporting to Agrabah was the easiest thing in the world for her, and this idea was _perfect_. They had to find out truth _directly from the source_.

Khalida was determined to ease Elsa’s mind, and no longer was it for the sake of some magic rebellion. This was about helping a friend she really, _really_ liked – Elsa was lovely, smart and caring. Maybe Anna’s scheming glances had been right; maybe she was developing a crush. Ultimately, it didn’t matter, Elsa just deserved to be happy.

“Do you think your dad’s in the palace?” Anna asked, pointing to the large building up ahead. Khalida had landed them in the market place.

“Hard to say,” Khalida admitted. “He’s always going on adventures with Aladdin and Jasmine…”

“Stop, you furry little theif!”

“…But I know where we can find someone who might be able to tell us!”

Khalida grabbed the wrist of a confused Anna and lead her toward the call in the market place. Their path eventually crossed with a small monkey carrying a small melon over his head. Upon seeing Khalida, he squeaked and ran behind her.

The shopkeeper caught up with them shortly after. “Oh, it’s the Genie’s daughter. You know the law, child! Hand over the monkey!”

Khalida rolled her eyes, and reached behind her back to get the melon from Abu. It was a fight, but she won out, and tossed the melon to the shopkeeper.

“There you go. I mean, that’s _better_ , right? No one’s going to buy a monkey form a fruit vendor!”

The shopkeeper grumbled something, but left, and Anna turned to Khalida.

“Isn’t Aladdin the Sultan now?”

“Yeah.”

“So Abu could just… Have food, right? From the palace?”

“Oh, definitely, but Abu’s a total kleptomaniac.”

Suddenly, there was a squeaky complaint in her ear. Khalida laughed at Abu, who had climbed up to her shoulder. “Hey, I got you out of that jam, didn’t I? Although you’d probably like being in jam. Or jelly. You’re big on fruit, Abu.” Abu rolled his eyes, so Khalida dropped the humor. “Do you know where my dad is?”

Abu pointed towards the castle, but shrugged to indicate he wasn’t _positive_. It was enough for Khalida, though, who lead the way.

No sooner had they _entered_ the palace, after successfully explaining to Razoul that Anna was no threat, than a puff of blue smoke announced the presence of Khalida’s father.

“Kiddo! What brings you here? Hey, what about school?”

“It’s Sunday, Dad,” Khalida assured him.

“Then we’re good! And hey, you brought a friend who _isn’t_ the son of an enemy! No, I’m kidding, you know I like Jay.” Genie suddenly took on the appearance of an elderly man. “He’s a good little whippersnapper!”

“Dad!” Khalida laughed, and Genie snapped back into shape. “Anna and I need a favor. Our friend Elsa is the daughter of Ingrid, the Snow Queen, and we’re trying to learn what made her a villain. So… We thought you might be able to take us to the Isle of the Lost?”

Genie frowned, a rare sight. “You want me to take you two to the _Isle of the Lost_ to talk to a _villain_? Look, Kiddo, I’m sorry, but that’s a no-can-do.”

“But Dad – “

“I can’t let you get hurt, bubula.”

Khalida sighed. “Okay. We’re gonna head back to school and check on Elsa, then.”

“Let me know if I can help in another way, okay? I really hate to let you down like this.”

“You never let me down, Dad,” Khalida said, hugging the Genie.

She and Anna left the palace, and Khalida turned to Anna. “I’m going to take us there.”

“Wait, what?”

“I’m going to take us to the Isle of the Lost. If he can do it, so can I. I get why he doesn’t want to take us there, I really do, but I feel like we’ve come so far.”

“Are you sure about this?” Anna asked.

“I’m positive. We have to do this.”

Anna nodded. Similar to Khalida, she just wanted to see her cousin at peace with her past and herself. “Then let’s go.”

Khalida was nervous, but she focused all her magic on breaking them through the crack in the barrier around the Isle of the Lost.

_It worked_.

They found themselves on a crowded street, bustling with unsavory looking characters. Anna wasn’t sure if she was frightened or fascinated.

“Now we have to find Ingrid.”

“The Snow Queen,” Khalida corrected. “They probably all call her the Snow Queen.”

They asked every stooge and minion they could find, but none were willing to talk. On the shore of the Island, they found the Sea Witch, Ursula, who called to them.

“I can help you find the Snow Queen, children… For a price.”

Khalida and Anna kept right on moving.

Finally, after what was truly hours of fruitless searching, they ran into the Baddum boys, who pointed them in the right direction without any thought.

Soon, they were in front of a broken-down home covered in ice.


	12. ten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, please note the Once Upon a Time content is very AU and not something I'm super familiar with.

Anna took a deep breath, then stepped forward to knock on the door.

_Knock knock-knock-knock knock-knock-knock._

“Snow Queen? Are you there? It’s Anna… Gerda’s daughter?”

Within, Ingrid froze. Gerda had a _child_? There was still some form of hope for her family? She ran to the door, threw it open, and immediately recognized her sister in the young girl that stood before her.

“My word…”

“We’re here because Elsa… Elsa really needs to know what happened with Helga,” Khalida said. Ingrid only half-heard her.

“Yes, of course.” Her gaze turned sharply on Khalida. “Take me back to Auradon with you. Get the three of us together, and I’ll tell you anything.”

Anna and Khalida exchanged nervous looks. “We… Can’t,” Anna admitted. “You have to stay here. But _please_ , if you can tell us what happened to Helga, the _real story_ , it would mean so much to Elsa.”

“Yes, Elsa needs to be with us – “

Just then, there was a puff of blue smoke, and a familiar voice said, “I guess it’s good she insisted on coming with me, then.”

“Dad?” Khalida looked at him, mortified. Genie wasn’t exactly _disciplinary_ , but she always felt _so bad_ when she let him down, and _so stupid_ when she got in over her head like this.

Elsa rushed to stand between her mother and her friends. “Mother, what’s going on?”

“Elsa, I never knew… Gerda had a daughter. Don’t you see? This family can be complete again.”

“Mom, _what happened_? What are you talking about?”

Ingrid sighed, and rushed as she spoke, as if she needed to get to one very important point. “When your Aunt Helga was being courted, one of her suitors made a pass at me. Helga believed my story, but that just made the man angry. He got confrontational, so I moved to use my magic. Helga jumped in the way. There was nothing I could do, and then Gerda thought…” Ingrid shook her head, cutting off her ramble. “But don’t you see, Elsa, my sweet? Now, the three of us will be family again. We’re not… _Exactly_ sisters, but it doesn’t matter. We’re _family_.”

Elsa’s eyes widened. The attack _had_ been planned… But not aimed at Aunt Helga. Her powers _could_ do horrible things, but the choice really _was_ hers.

But before she could celebrate, she needed to help Ingrid. For as disturbing as it all was, she couldn’t help feeling sorry for her mother.

“Ingrid… _Mom_. That’s all over. I’m _so sorry_ for what happened to you, but you can’t bring it back, and neither can Anna or I. Your sisters are gone. I’m sorry, but that’s it. What you have now is _me_ , though. You can be a good mother, I know it. And…” She looked at Anna, who instantly knew what she was being asked, and nodded. “…And you are an aunt to Anna. You can do that well, too. But you can’t hope the past will come back to you. It never will.”

Ingrid fell to her knees in front of Elsa, and hung her head. It killed her to hear those words, but finally being faced with truth made her see it for what it was.

“You’re right, Elsa. I… I just don’t know what to do. I’ve been in pain for so long.”

“I’m sure it will take time. You just need to start to let it go.”

Ingrid nodded, then stood and turned away from the children and – without a word – went back inside.

“Is she going to be okay?” Anna asked.

“You know, I really think so. I do,” Genie said, nodding slowly.

“I do, too,” Elsa added. Then she looked at her friends. “I can’t believe you guys came to the _Isle of the Lost_ to ask the Snow Queen a question, all for me.”

“Of course,” Anna said, taking Elsa’s hand. “You’re my family.”

“And you’re my…” Khalida trailed off. “…I didn’t have that one planned out.”

Elsa giggled and tried, once again, not to think too much.

Genie smiled and shook his head. “I think it’s time I took you guys back to school.”

“Wait, I want to know how you knew we were here,” Khalida pointed out.

“Kiddo, you’re the best, but I know how you are once you get have a plan! I went to check with Elsa to see if you’d gone back to school, and neither of us could find either of you. It wasn’t too hard to figure out from there.”

“I’m glad you guys showed up when you did,” Anna said.

“Yeah,” Khalida agreed. “And I… I’m sorry.”

“So, _now_ are you all ready to get back to school?”

“Not quite,” Khalida said quickly. “Does Fairy Godmother absolutely _need_ to know that we did this? Because we will be in so much trouble.”

Genie waved a hand in the air. “Don’t worry about it, Kiddo.”

“Although,” Elsa said, with a small smirk on her face as snowflakes played about her fingertips, “it might be time we got into a bit of trouble.”


	13. eleven.

Mal started the magic rebellion. Her range of magic covered the more subtle, smaller end of the spectrum, whereas Elsa’s magic tended to be hard to miss and Khalida… Well, Khalida _herself_ wasn’t subtle.

Starting small had seemed less-than-appealing to Mal at first, but she found her ways to have fun with it. She made the beans in the four-bean salad at lunch jump like jumping beans, she made all the showerheads produce pixie dust instead of water, and then she changed things around in the chemistry labs so every chemical compound would spout tiny fireworks when mixed with another.

Honestly, the three girls had kind of assumed that Fairy Godmother would stop them right there, but she seemed to be ignoring the reports of strange events. Mal was more than a little insulted.

“The spells were great,” Khalida assured her as the team met in Khalida’s room. “I think this is like when little Nadir throws a temper tantrum to get what he wants, and Aladdin and Jasmine don’t pay attention. Eventually, he always stops. The difference is that _we’re_ not going to stop.”

Elsa clasped her hands together. She knew that this meant she was up, but once again, she was having second doubts. She felt comfortable using her magic now, but breaking the rules? When she was a new student from the _Isle of the Lost_? It seemed like it might be a poorly thought-out decision.

“Come on, Elsa,” Mal said, clearly recognizing the signs of uncertainty. “You know why we’re doing this.”

Elsa couldn’t deny their cause: Magic had so much potential. While she still needed to _truly_ become familiar with hers, she saw how much it meant to Mal and Khalida. She understood Fairy Godmother’s concerns, she really did, but she knew there must be some balance to strike.

“Okay, tomorrow at lunch. It’ll happen,” Elsa agreed.

Khalida touched her shoulder, and Elsa leaned her cheek against the blue hand. Mal raised her eyebrows. Never one for mincing words, she asked, “Is something going on between you two, or what?”

Elsa raised her head; face flushed. “I, um…” She looked at Khalida sheepishly, who just laughed.

“Come on, Mal, don’t be nosy,” she chided.

Mal shrugged. “You’re right. Right now, all that matters is this plan. I just hope tomorrow gets Fairy Godmother’s attention.

Elsa wanted to ask Khalida if there _was_ something going on between them. She knew, by now, that she was attracted to Khalida’s warm touch. What had really cinched things, though, was realizing that Khalida had gone to the Isle of the Lost just to help Elsa clear her conscience. It has shown so much heart, and there were few things Elsa admired more. But she was from the Isle of the Lost, where people didn’t have relationships, so she didn’t feel like she could make the first step here, no matter how much Khalida flirted around the topic.

But Lonnie, Khalida’s roommate, came back to her dorm before Mal and Elsa had left, so the two sorceresses quickly said their goodnights and headed out.

Elsa’s relationship woes took backseat to the magic rebellion the next day. Despite her reservations the previous night, she was excited to cause some mischief, and more importantly, some _fun_. At lunch, she stood on top of the hill in the yard as Khalida and Mal, down below, went from table to table, getting everyone to pay attention. Oddly, she didn’t feel any stage fright. Elsa _wanted_ to have this magic as part of her, now. She wanted to be able to play with them, to test her limits, and to master this magic. So, with careful concentration, she raised her arms in the air and then shot them forward, her hands guiding the magic down the hill, which was soon covered in snow.

There were sounds of amazement and confusion from below, where the lunch tables were. Slowly, students began to approach the snow. As soon as the first snowball was thrown – by Chad Charming, who accidentally hit Audrey’s new blouse – the fun had begun. People were sledding down the hill on trash can lids and even lunch trays. Snowball fights broke out, which of course lead to the building of snow forts. Elsa caught sight of her cousin making a snowman, and her heart filled with warmth.

Her magic had created all this. _She_ had created all this. Elsa felt so proud of herself.

Suddenly, the snow began to melt, and the water it melted into instantly vanished. Elsa looked down. At the foot of the hill stood Fairy Godmother, with her wand.

She did not look pleased.

A wave of her wand, and Elsa found herself in a chair in the Headmistress’s office, with Mal on one side of her and Khalida on the other.

“Young ladies, I can only ask _why_?”

This was not Fairy Godmother at her most obliviously cheery. She was clearly annoyed, and Elsa could bet it would only get worse. Before any of the three girls could answer the question, Fairy Godmother went on.

“I have worked very hard to move Auradon forward, and for good reason.”

“But it’s not good reason!” Khalida protested.

“Khalida, I knew you must be part of this. As I have told your father again and again – “

“Yeah, you can take away magic, so if you get too dependent on it… But magic doesn’t just _disappear_! We took the magic away on the Island! That was a _choice_!”

“Young lady – “

“Khalida’s right,” Mal agreed. “And I don’t think it was even the best choice. I get that our parents couldn’t have magic, but taking it away from us? Taking _everything_ away from us? It just made us feel like the disasters you all thought we were for so long.”

Fairy Godmother’s grip on her wand tightened. “That is a _separate_ issue that King Ben has set right. Magic, however, is-“

“A part of who we are,” Elsa said softly, not even realizing she was speaking out loud until all eyes were on her. “It’s a part of who you are, too, Fairy Godmother. When you saw Cinderella’s face after you told you’d help her get to the ball… That must have meant the world to you. Knowing that _your magic_ could change someone’s life for the better like that. I know when I used my magic today, I felt like I had really done something worthwhile. I felt like I could do great things, and make people _happy_. We can’t deny something so special, especially when it makes us who we are. Don’t you understand? With all due respect, Head Mistress, we need our magic. Not to _do tasks_ , but to let us be ourselves.”

“Yeah, are you really happy with your wand _on display_ in some museum?” Mal cut in. Elsa _did_ notice that Fairy Godmother tightened her grip on her wand once again.

“There is a balance, though, isn’t there?” Elsa asked. She leaned towards Fairy Godmother’s desk, and spoke softly. “Magic doesn’t have to be our only defense, or the only thing we turn to when a job has to be done, or anything like that. But can’t it still be part of our lives? Isn’t everything best in moderation?” And then came the unspoken question, the one clear in Elsa’s brief glance down to Fairy Godmother’s hands. _Don’t you want to have the magic back?_

“I hadn’t considered this,” Fairy Godmother said slowly. “I understand that magic is important to those of us who wield it. And I did see magic bring joy today. I had almost forgotten what that looked like. I was so wrapped up in what can go wrong with magic that I forgot the precious things that go right.” She shook her head, and as she spoke next, there was a change. She went back to her happy demeanor, but it no longer felt forced. Instead, she sounded nostalgic and incredibly full of warmth. “I can’t believe I did. Those are moments we must treasure. Elsa, you’ve talked about balance, and you’re right.”

“So…?” Khalida prodded.

Fairy Godmother’s cheeks actually _dimpled_ as she grinned. “So, I will allow public magic at the school once again, and I will work on reintroducing it to Auradon.” She looked directly at Elsa. “Thank you, child.”

It was as if she was, once again, the Fairy Godmother they had all heard about in Cinderella’s famous story. As Mal, Khalida, and Elsa left the room, all three were happy, but also somewhat shocked.

“How did you _do_ that?” Mal breathed. Elsa shrugged, smirking a bit.

“Diplomacy.”

She left the other two when she noticed Anna nearby, waiting nervously on a bench outside the Head Mistress’s office. Elsa sat down beside her.

“Hello.”

“Oh, hi! Um, I just wanted to see how it went. I mean, are you okay? Are you in trouble?”

“Believe it or not, everything’s fine. Actually, everything is great. Fairy Godmother is going to let there be magic again.” She glanced over to where Mal now stood, alone, Khalida having transported to Agrabah to share the news with her dad. Then she looked back at Anna. “It should be interesting around here.”

“I’m proud of you, Elsa,” Anna said, taking her cousin’s hand. Elsa looked embarrassed, but murmured her thanks. Then a thought came to her.

“That was a pretty great snowman you made back there. Think you can recreate it?”

Anna nodded, then corrected, “Him. His name is Olaf.”


	14. epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we've made it to the epilogue. I hope this was as fun to read as it was to write!

The steady clumping sound behind Elsa helped keep her calm as she approached Khalida’s room. It had been three weeks since Fairy Godmother had officially reintroduced magic to Auradon Prep, and the rest of Auradon was sure to follow. Jane had thanked the three magic rebels for helping her mother return to her old self, and the girls couldn’t help feeling proud. They truly had made a difference.

“I mean, it was mostly Elsa, but come on! Look at us – Real trail-blazers!” Khalida had said at the final meeting of the magic rebellion.

Mal made a face of mock-displeasure. “Excuse me, I totally helped with that. _You_ are the one who didn’t do anything,” she teased. Then she turned to Elsa. “I have to admit, you were cool. No pun intended.”

Elsa appreciated the praise. But even if she ended up going down in Auradon’s history as a revolutionary, the best part of the whole thing was when she and Anna made a snowman together.

“I brought the carrot!” Anna announced as she met up with Elsa behind their dorm building.

Elsa smiled. “Well, I brought the snow.”

They had a wonderful time rebuilding Anna’s snowman. Elsa relished the feeling of having real family. If there was one thing still _truly_ bothering her, it was Ingrid. Her poor mother had been so lost in the past, and Elsa didn’t know what she should – or could – do about it. Even if Ingrid didn’t felt like family to her the way Anna did, Elsa _did_ care.

But she couldn’t do anything about that, whereas the thing that was _kind of_ bothering her… That she could settle, at last.

She knocked on Khalida’s door. Of all people, _Lonnie_ answered.

“Oh! Hello, Lonnie, I didn’t expect… I don’t know _why_ , it’s your room, too, it’s just…” Elsa took a moment to compose herself. “Is Khalida in?”

Lonnie was friendly as always. “Hey, Elsa. Khalida’s actually visiting Jay right now. You can wait here, if you want.”

Elsa was a little too nervous to wait around with a girl she didn’t know particularly well. She smiled politely and said, “My room is right across from Jay’s, so I’ll just catch her when she leaves. Thank you, though. I appreciate the offer.”

“Sure thing,” Lonnie chirped, ducking back inside.

Elsa made the way back up to her stairs to her room, pausing briefly outside Jay’s door. No, interrupting would be rude, and it would be awkward for all involved to talk to Khalida in front of Jay and Carlos.

But what should she do? Certainly not wait outside the door… Elsa paused in front 14b, and the clumping came to stop by her side.

“Did you forget how to knock? I can do it!”

“Wait-!”

But it was too late.

Jay opened the door, then stopped and stared down.

“What the heck is that?”

Elsa had gotten used to this response when people first met Olaf. She had gotten used to the next part, too.

“I’m Olaf, and I like warm hu-“

“Are you _kidding_ me? That thing is _alive_?”

Mal had kicked Olaf’s head clear off his body, so really, Jay was doing endlessly better.

“Yes,” Elsa laughed, picking up Olaf. His personal flurry followed him upwards. “Anna and I made him.”

“I didn’t know you could do stuff like _that_.”

“Who can do what?” came a familiar voice from in the room. Soon Khalida was looking over Jay’s shoulder. “Oh, cute!”

Elsa smiled weakly. “Yeah, he… Thank you. I didn’t mean to interrupt. Olaf just decided to knock.”

Jay shrugged. “We’re just hanging out. You’re free to join us.”

Elsa blushed, and Khalida briefly locked eyes with her.

“Actually, Jay, I’m guessing this is some magic business. I’ll catch you later, okay?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Khalida stepped out of Jay’s dorm, pausing to tap the tip of Olaf’s carrot nose. The snowman giggled. “Hi! I’m Olaf!”

“Hey, Olaf. I’m Khalida.”

“Olaf,” Elsa began, “why don’t you go visit Anna, okay?” She had brought the snowman along as sort of a comfort, but he was – perhaps not surprisingly – causing more stress than anything else. Still, Elsa felt so fond as she watched him hop down and walk to the room across the hall and one door down.

“This one, right?”

“Yes. I’ll see you later, Olaf.”

“Bye!”

“That’s really impressive, Elsa,” Khalida said as the two girls wandered aimlessly through the halls. “I mean – wow! That’s genie-level stuff!” She paused. “But I’m guessing this isn’t really about magic, right?”

Elsa nodded slowly. She was glad Khalida hadn’t been confused, but if she’d lied to Jay, she probably knew what Elsa was trying to cover for. That made her nervous. “I wanted to talk to you about… Something else.”

“Okay.”

“I… Well, the past month… It’s been really interesting for me. I’ve learned a lot about myself, and it’s been confusing.” She stopped. Her mouth felt dry and she could hear her heart pounding, as if it was settled between her ears. She looked over and saw Khalida practically _cringing_ , and oh no, what had she done? Had she really read the signs so wrong? “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Khalida’s eyes widened. “No! Elsa, I’m sorry. I know I’m always… Pretty upfront and loud and all that, but when it comes to you a-and… _Me_. I don’t know, I’ve never had a relationship before, so I knew I liked you, because you’re great, and I was pretty sure you liked me, maybe, but I just…” She shrugged. “I guess I was scared. You know, that I was wrong, or that… It wouldn’t work, or something.”

“I _do_ like you, Khalida. It was hard to figure out, because of where I’m from and how things are there, but you’re very sweet, and I do think you bring out a lot of good in me. I like that. I was just scared, too.”

Khalida smiled. “Well, I’m glad you like me. That’s… Pretty awesome, actually.”

“You said you’ve never been in a relationship before?” Elsa asked. Khalida shook her head. “Would you mind a little more waiting? I’d love to spend more time with you – just you – but I’m just not sure I’m ready for a _girlfriend_.”

“I think I’m right there with you,” Khalida admitted. “So yeah, that sounds good. Now, uh, bear with me, this is a weird change of topic, but… About your mom…”

Elsa looked surprised. “What about her?”

“My dad talked to Fairy Godmother about having you visit her once and a while. If you wanted! My dad would go to keep an eye on everything, and maybe if Anna wanted to go, too, it would really help Ingrid move forward.”

“Thank you. I think that’s a wonderful idea.”

That evening, with Lizzie eyeing Olaf warily from her side of the room, Elsa and her cousin – and their snowman – discussed the day’s events.

“So are you and Khalida _dating_?” Anna asked, eyes sparkling. Elsa shook her head.

“Not yet. We’re just getting a feel for it. But there’s something else, too. I’ll be visiting Ingrid sometimes on the Island. Genie will come with me to make sure everything goes well. You’re welcome to come too if you’d like, but please don’t feel like you have to.”

“I’d love to! We’re all family, and I think helping Ingrid is a great idea.”

“Can I come, too?” Olaf asked, hopping up and down on Elsa’s bed.

“Of course!” Anna said. “You’re family, too, Olaf.”

“Hurray! Family!” Olaf giggled.

Elsa watched happily. Family had been the last thing she had expected to find when she first arrived in Auradon, but she couldn’t have asked for a better surprise.


End file.
